1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modular IC, and more particularly, to a device for loading/unloading a modular IC to/from a socket in a modular IC handler which facilitates an automatic, quick, and accurate loading/unloading of a modular IC to be tested to/from a socket.
2. Background of the Related Art
The modular IC 1 is a unit circuit having a substrate 2 with a plurality of IC's and components 3 soldered on one or both sides thereof for mounting on a main board to extend a capacity or a function. As the modular IC 1 has a higher price than pieces of individual completed IC's, IC makers develop the modular IC as a major product. Since a reliability of the modular IC is important as much as the price of the modular IC expensive, only products determined good through strict quality control are forwarded and products determined not good are repaired or abandoned. Since there has been no device which automatically loads a completed modular IC 1 into a socket, conducts a test, automatically classifies the modular IC according to a result of the test, and unloading the modular IC into a cassette, a working efficiency of the modular IC test is low and has a low productivity due to monotonous work because a worker should pick up the modular IC's to be tested from a cassette one by one and load into a socket, conducts a test, classifies according to a result of the test, and place into an unloading test. Accordingly, the applicant filed Korean Patents in application Nos. 96-11590 and 96-11591 and Korea Utility Model in application No. 96-8320, on handlers which holds a completed modular IC placed in a cassette by means of a pick-up means, automatically loads into a socket, conducts a test, automatically classifies and unloads into an empty cassette according to a result of the test.
FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view of a modular IC handler shown in Patent application No. 96-11590 filed by the applicant, and FIG. 3 illustrates a section across line A--A in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is one pair of sliders on a base 4 adapted to move closer or away and a printed circuit board 7 having a plurality of oppositely fixed contact pins 6 on the slider. The sliders are provided as many as the modular IC's 1 to be tested. And, there are a cam plate 8 having a plurality of inwardly sloped cam slots 8a fitted movably along a straight line on each side of the slider, and there are bearings 9 at both ends of the slider for insertion into the cam slots 8a in the cam plate. Therefore, the modular IC can be loaded when the modular IC 1 is picked up by means of a pick up means, brought right over the slider 5, and lowered to position the modular IC between the sliders in a state the cam plate is moved backward with the one pair of sliders moved away and the guider 10 moved backward, i.e., in an initial state. After the modular IC 1 is loaded between the sliders 5, the holding of the pick up means is released, and the pick up means is elevated, the guiders 10 are moved forward to support the modular IC 1 by both sides thereof, and each of the cam plates 8 is moved forward. When the cam plates 8 advance inwardly, the sliders 5 spaced apart move closer because bearings 9 fixed to the sliders 5 are inserted in the cam slots 8a. Consequently, the printed circuit board 7 fixed to the sliders 5 moves toward the modular IC 1 to bring the contact pins 6 into contact with a pattern 1a of the modular IC making electrically conductive between them, thereby facilitating a test. Upon completion of a test of the modular IC by the aforementioned operation, in a reverse order of the aforementioned operation, the pick up means is lowered, and the test completed modular IC 1 is unloaded from between the sliders 5.
However, though the aforementioned related art device is advantageous in that a completed modular IC can be automatically loaded, tested, and classified into good or defective products according to a result of the test, the related art device has a problem in that an hourly productivity of the expensive handler is low because a cycle time of moving closer and away of the sliders 5 to which the printed circuit board fixed by moving the cam plates 8 forward and backward directions by means of a cylinder required for bringing the pattern 1a of the modular IC to the pins 6 to make them electrically conductive takes long.
And, even though frequent replacement of broken pins 6 is required, which pins 6 are fixed to the printed circuit board 7 and brought into contact with the pattern 1a of the modular IC, but is vulnerable to breakage as they are very weak, the replacement of the pins 6 is not fast because the sliders 5 should be separated from the base 4 beforehand.